First Aid Course 18/19 May at 7pm
A First Aid qualification is required by all instructors and safety boat helms and anyone else who would like to do the course. There are three places still available. Cost is £25. Give James Ogg a call on 07730006149 to book a place on the course that starts in the Clubhouse tomorrow night.
Safety Boat Refresher Course – Saturday 23 May 2015
It is required as part of our annual RYA inspection, that all RYA L2 safety boat helms and crews undergo an annual refresher course. This will take place on Saturday 23rd May. There will be two sessions – one from 0900 to 1300 and another from 1330 to 1730.

Please email your preference of morning or afternoon to [email protected] or call James Ogg on 07730006149. A list of current safety boat drivers is attached.

Champion Club Race Coaching was due to start on the 7th May but will not now start until 4th June 2015.

The Adult RYA Level 2 Dinghy course scheduled for the 23/24th May has been rescheduled until the 13/14th June.

Wednesday “gain experience” for those with their stage 1 / 2 is now concluded and no further sessions will be run.

The Wednesday “early race craft “ will now take place every Wednesday night in August. Please be on the slipway with boat rigged at 7pm, session will finish at 9.30pm. The focus for these sessions will be competing in club racing.

The youth “start and intermediate racing” course scheduled for next week is being combined with the youth “stage 3 & 4 “ course starting on 17th August. Places are available on this course and also the youth “stage 1 & 2 course” w/c 10th August

Adult RYA Level 1 Dinghy Sailing 8-9 August – Cost £80 (Members)
Introducing you to sailing with all you need to know to get afloat under supervision. How to sail in all directions, including an awareness of launching and recovering. 2 days 9am to 4.30pm.

Adult RYA Level 2 Dinghy Sailing 15 – 16 August – Cost £80 (Members)
Setting out the foundations of sailing for you. Rigging, launching, sailing in all directions. Capsize recovery and essential safety knowledge. Able to sail and make decisions in good conditions. 2 days 9am to 4.30pm.

Special Offer – Book both these courses and receive a 25 % discount – both courses for £120

For bookings or further information call James on 07730006149 or Heather on 07718462818

This Sunday 2nd August the Club is hosting the annual Town Cup race. The race will be started from the slipway opposite the club with the first warning signal at 13.10hrs.

The event is open to all classes of boats including small cruisers and will have two starts, the first one being for double handed Picos, RS Feva, Mirrors, Topper 4.2, Topper Full Rig and Laser 4.7 with the second start for all other boats with PY 1130 and below including cruisers

The course to be sailed will be communicated on the morning of the event. It is essential that all boats make themselves known to the race committee on the slipway.

As part of the Donaghadee Festival fortnight which starts this weekend, our Clubhouse will be open to visitors on Saturday 1 August 2015 from 11am.

On this date, the Club will host crews involved in the Coastal Rowing Skiff Regatta from across the Ards Peninsula as they race in their locally built rowing skiffs for the pride of their community off Donaghadee breakwater from 11am. you can view the action from the comfort of the Clubhouse

The Clubhouse will also be hosting crews participating in the annual Raft Race which always draws a crowd. This is due to start at 12.30pm on Saturday 1 August from the slipway.

In the early evening, the Clubhouse will host a BBQ with proceeds raised in aid of RNLI from 5pm. All members are encouraged to come down and participate in the fun during the day and to enjoy the evening BBQ which is raising finds for a great cause.

Town Cup
On Sunday 2 August 2015, the Town Cup will be competed for in Donaghadee Bay. Those wishing to race should be ready to launch in time for the starting gun at 1.10pm. It would be great to see as many boats as possible out on the water to compete for the Town Cup – the start time coincides with high tide and the course is kept close into the shore and harbour to give everyone a view of the racing.

Please come down with your family and friends to support the Club and these events as part of the local festival fortnight.

Youth RYA Stage 1/2 Course 27- 31 July and a second course on 10-14 August – Cost £120 (Members) £150 (Non members)
This is where it all begins and student master the basic dinghy skills in a fun and safe environment under the instruction of our skilled RYA instructors. 5 day course 9am to 4.30 pm.

Youth RYA Start and Intermediate Racing Course 3-7 August – Cost £120 (Members) £150 (Non members)
Aimed at those who have mastered the art of sailing and want to progress into dinghy racing. At the end of the week long course students will have the skills to take part in Club racing.

Adult Sailing Courses

Adult RYA Level 1 Dinghy Sailing 8-9 August – Cost £80 (Members) £120 (Non Members)
Introducing you to sailing with all you need to know to get afloat under supervision. How to sail in all directions, including an awareness of launching and recovering. 2 days 9am to 4.30pm.
Adult RYA Level 2 Dinghy Sailing 15 – 16 August – Cost £80 (Members) £120 (Non Members)Setting out the foundations of sailing for you. Rigging, launching, sailing in all directions. Capsize recovery and essential safety knowledge. Able to sail and make decisions in good conditions. 2 days 9am to 4.30pm.Special Offer – Book both these courses and receive a 25% discount getting both courses for £120 (Members) £180 (Non Members)

Powerboat Courses

Safety Boat Course 25/26 July 2015 – £110 (Member) £150 (Non Member)
For those who have their RYA Level 2 Powerboat and want to take their skills to the next level and become part of our skilled team of safety boat drivers with the opportunity to support events not only at DSC but at other Clubs. Two places available.

RYA Level 2 Powerboat Course 8/9 August (Minimum age 15) – £110 (Member) £150 (Non Member)
This two-day entry level course provides the skills and background knowledge needed to drive a powerboat and is the basis of the International Certificate of Competence. It focuses on low speed close quarters handling, man overboard recovery, an introduction to driving at planing speed, and collision regulations. Also required for anyone wishing to become a dinghy instructor. Two places available.

The spring race series is now completed despite the best intentions of the weather! The results for the Spring Series for both Sunday and Wednesday racing have now been tabulated in Sailwave using personal handicaps and are attached.

There were a lot of issues with finalising the results for the series. As we are seeking to transition our Club racing to a more professional standard, it is really important that all those racing are familiar with follow the Sailing Instructions. Please read them. A copy is attached.

0nly 6 helms had completed a Club Racing Entry form and hence were the only people eligible to score points. A Club Racing Entry form (copy attached) needs to be completed by each helm to participate in Club Racing at the start of the season. Club Racing Entry form

Where Club boats have been used, those sailing them have often not informed the Battery of their sail number so points have often not been awarded. If using a Club boat, please advise a safety boat who will radio the battery with helm details.

Those crews doing battery duty have often not added their name to the race record sheet and hence cannot be allocated average points for doing battery duty. Please make sure to add your name on the race record sheet when on battery duty.

Some members using Club boats have still not completed an Application for Use of Club Boat form. Anyone using a Club boat needs to complete this document once a year. Copies are available in the Club Foyer – a copy is also attached. Final – Application for Use of a Club Boat

No donations have been received from those using Club boats to date. The donation of £5 per race for using of a Club boat goes towards the upkeep of the Club fleet.

Your help is much appreciated as we try and make our Club racing more all inclusive and professional.

DSC Regatta
The annual Club Regatta, where we welcome sailors from other Clubs in the area to race at Donaghadee, will take place on Saturday 29 August 2015. As well as the traditional post racing afternoon tea, there will be an early evening BBQ with live music in the Clubhouse. It would be great to see as many members as possible out on the water for this event as well as down at the Clubhouse in the afternoon and evening. We will also be working hard to encourage as many members as possible from other Clubs to join us for the day. So please put this date in your diary.

Club Open Day
As part of the Donaghadee Festival, we will be hosting an open day at the Club to coincide with the annual Raft Race on Saturday 1 August 2015. This year a Community Skiff Regatta will also be held on the same day. A fundraising event for RNLI will also be held in the Clubhouse that evening involving a BBQ and disco.

Training Courses
The summer training programme at Donaghadee Sailing Club is now in full swing. With the good weather here for a few weeks now is a great time to sign up for a course as an adult or a junior. Details of all our courses can be found here. To apply for any of our courses please complete an application form and drop it into the Club along with the appropriate payment. A Junior Refresher course will run on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week for those young members holding RYA 2, 3 or 4 qualifications – a chance to get back on the water and update your skills. Next week a RYA Junior Level 1&2 course will start on Monday 6 July 2015 running till Friday with a RYA Level 3&4 course running during the week commencing Monday 13 July 2015. For further details on training please contact James Ogg at [email protected] or Heather Burrows at [email protected]

Canoes in the Boat Park
We are currently seeking to identify the owners of canoes placed in the Boat Park. Please see the attached notice. If you are the owner of these canoes please contact James Ogg to arrange payment of the appropriate storage fee.

Junior Sailing and Strangford Lough Regatta
Strangford Sailing Club is running four days of sailing from 16-19th July. A youth series for Juniors will take place on 16 July with racing starting at noon followed by prizes and food. Details of this and other events at the Club, which is situated in Castle Ward grounds, can be found at http://www.strangfordloughregattas.co.uk Stuart Ogg hopes to take down some Toppers and a support boat from DSc for the event so please get in touch with him if you would like more details.

Bow Bells BBQ
Plans are in hand for a Bow Bells BBQ at the Clubhouse on Sunday 26 July. Please put this date in your diary.

Some other dates for your Diary
Saturday 29 August – Club Regatta Day
Saturday 19 September – Commodores Day
Saturday 31 October – Halloween Spooktacular – Fancy Dress Party
Sunday 13 December – Club Christmas Dinner
Saturday 19 December – Club Children’s Christmas Party
Christmas Eve – Mulled Wine and Mince Pies
Saturday 26 December – Rock Hopper Race
New Years Eve – NYE Party and Disco

An Adult Level 2 sailing course will take place this weekend. If you have completed your Level 1 course or simply want to improve your skills, this is the course for you. Course will start at 9am both Saturday and Sunday and will be delivered by Senior Instructor Laura Jackson. Application form is available on www.donaghadeesc.co.uk/training

GP14 Double handed training will continue this Sunday morning and all future Sundays at 10.15 am. Aimed at all those who sail GP14s or who would like to crew in them. Participants must have basic sailing skills, as the program is about boat set up and sailing technique, not about teaching the basic of sailing. This weeks session will be run by Lawrence Baalham, a long time GP sailor and Senior Instructor. After the session, why not add to your enjoyment and compete in the afternoon club racing.

Friday Club Nights for Juniors
After some unseasonable weather in May which meant that, for the first time in years, it was not possible to get out on the water, the weather is looking better for this Friday! As always, keep an eye on Facebook, Twitter and email to receive updates on whether sailing is on. Friday Nights until the end of June will be free to newcomers after which they will be asked to join the Club. We really need our helms down each Friday Night to allow as many people as possible to get out on the water. Volunteers to support shore duties including launching support, safety boat and BBQ are always welcome. We would also remind parents that they are responsbile for the safety of their children when they not on the water on Friday evenings, particularly when crossing the road between the Clubhouse and the slipway. We look forward to seeing members down at the Club this weekend.

Club Regatta
A placemarker for your diary for the Donaghadee Sailing Club Regatta which this year will take place on Saturday 29th August 2015. Our Commodore Nick is keen to make this years event as successful as possible and a small planning group is already working out the detail around what is an important day for the Club. As well as the sailing, there will be a formal reception for local dignitaries and afternoon tea for those sailing followed by a BBQ in the early evening with music. Look out on the website and Facebook for more details.

Summer Training Courses
Places are still available on many of the summer training courses. To see a full list of courses please check details here. A booking form for courses can be found here and should be dropped into the Clubhouse with the correct payment as soon as possible. We are hoping to introduce an online booking and payment system through our Club website very soon – we will let you know when this is up and running.

Volunteers
We rely on volunteers to keep the Club running – we are a Club for members, run by its members and without your support we would not be able to achieve the huge amount of activity we undertake each year. In particular, please check rotas for safety boat, battery and bar duty. If you are not able to cover your slot on the rota please make sure you find someone to cover for you. If you are not on a rota and are prepared to help please let the Club know by emailing [email protected]

RYA SailabilitySailability is a charitable trust set up by the Royal Yachting Association to provide the thrill and excitement of sailing to people with all forms of disability. Donaghadee Sailing Club has gained RYA Sailability Foundation Level Recognition and can offer sailing experience and training to those with disabilities. For many years, Tony Skeats has represented the Club and worked to promote Sailability. We are looking for new volunteers to support this work going forward. If you are interested please let us know by emailing the Club Office at [email protected]

Club Clothing
The new range of Club clothing has been going down very well with many hoodies and t-shirts already sold. If you would like to order any Club clothing, order forms can be found in the foyer of the Club and should be left in the office or passed to Andrew Miller with the correct payment. If you need more details of the range of Club clothing available please contact Andrew via Facebook or at [email protected]

Bow Bells Dinner at DSC
The Bow Bells dinner at the Clubhouse this Sunday, following Ladies Day racing, is now fully booked. Details of the next Bow Bells meal at the Clubhouse will be posted soon.

RYA Inspection
The Club received its annual RYA Training Centre Inspection last month. The visiting inspector was very impressed with the facilities, administration and policies that are in place for training at the Club. The Club subsequently received its approval as a RYA Training Centre following this inspection. Thanks are due to James Ogg who as our RYA Principal runs all of our training courses and who put much personal effort into ensuring that the annual inspection of our processes and policies went well.